I naturally prefer building tools for myself (or other builders) over building things for regular people. I already understand how to make a tool that I will use. Using tools takes expertise, so I get to demand something of the user. Plus I feel like I have gained an ability to do something that I couldn’t do without the tool.
But unless I use the tool, the capability is at best dormant, and at worst a false promise; maybe I don’t actually have the skills or maybe the tool is flawed.
Building tools is fine, but I am aiming to be more well rounded, and that means building non-tools. I have already made good steps in this direction this year with my drying rack and Axel’s chair. This coffee roasting table is another milestone.
I’ve been roasting my own coffee for seven or eight years. Since then I’ve been using a terrible folding card table that my wife and I got when we first moved to Santa Monica in 2015.
It didn’t start out as a terrible folding card table, but over time the MDF got wet and it warped like a potato chip.
When I first read The Anarchist Design Book this page hit me like a slap in the face:
My table is different than the one above because mine lives outside: I’m planning for wood movement. It has four “leaves” on top, joined underneath by a batten assembly. The battens are nailed to the top using cut nails, and use half lap joints to connect to each other.
The top and battens are hickory, and the legs are red oak. This is probably the last time I’m using hickory for furniture. It smells good but it is really hard to work!
I sawed the top into a circle. After that I used spokeshaves to add chamfers and make it nice and smooth. I used planes and card scrapers to get the top nice and smooth. My hands were sore from using the card scrapers for nearly a week after.
Unlike everything else I’ve made so far, I decided to use a modern, water protecting finish on this table (again: outdoors.) I did it the British way and added finish to all of the parts before any assembly.
I tested the 16d (!) cut nails in some scrap to make sure I wasn’t going to split the hickory. I don’t think the hickory ever came close to splitting, but I did have to bore bigger holes (3/16”.) Once I was sure it was going to work I nailed the battens to the leaves.
I bored three 3” deep by 1-3/8” in diameter mortises for the legs. I was sure that boring the mortises would be the victory lap. No. This table has insisted that every single portion of the job be a battle.
The WoodOwl auger bit got stuck so tightly that I could only get it out by using a wrench and a hammer. No adjustable tools (vice grips, the brace, etc) could maintain a hold on the bit when I was trying to get it out.
But all’s well that ends well! I used the table the same day and was pleased with the sturdiness and beauty of it. Even put away it looks good.
A nice looking table. Purpose-built furniture is also where I live these days. I’m sure the process of coffee roasting will be that much more enjoyable when you do it on the table you built.
Also, kudos on using hand tools to work that hickory. I’ve had hand tool fun time with rock maple and that’s about as hard as I will go.